Joey Saputo – Elected Chairman of the Board of Governors for the new league
The owners of the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps FC, formerly of the United Soccer Leagues First Division (USL-1), together with St. Louis Soccer United announced that they have formed a new professional soccer league to play in the United States and Canada beginning in April 2010.The team owners yesterday submitted an application for sanctioning of the new league as a Division II Men’s Outdoor Professional League by the United States Soccer Federation. An application for sanctioning as a Division I League will be submitted to the Canadian Soccer Association shortly and applications to other sanctioning bodies in the region will be submitted as needed.
The move strips USL-1 of some of its traditional powerhouses, although it is not clear how the new league, which has yet to be named, will look after 2010.
Vancouver will make the jump to Major League Soccer in 2011, and the Impact have an eye on MLS, as well.
Joey Saputo, president of the 2009 USL-1 champion Montreal Impact, was recently elected chairman of the board of governors of the new league.
“This is not your typical new league,” Saputo said. “Most of our teams have existed for years. We have united some of the best owners, teams and markets around a new vision for a professional soccer league in North America.
“We look forward to elevating our teams and league in order to give more opportunities to players, coaches, media and sponsors, entertain our fans and play our role in helping soccer truly recognize its potential in the United States and Canada.”
Jeff Cooper, the principal owner of St. Louis Soccer United and spokesperson for the new league, said team owners have commenced a search for a league commissioner and are actively finalizing other details – including a name for the league, as well as its sales and marketing plans. The league intends to launch an extensive marketing campaign in the coming months, Cooper said.
In addition, Cooper said the team owners are in active conversations with several teams and organizations throughout the world which have expressed interest in joining the new league.
“This will be a league that will offer the best of both worlds – outstanding experience and leadership at the ownership level combined with the promise and ability to chart our own course for success as a new league,” Cooper said. “It’s this structure that motivated me to bring St. Louis into the new league, and why I believe the new league will have a lot of success at launch next year and well into the future.”
Wait so there are going to be two Division 2 leagues?
Glad to have footy back in ATL!